Where the Wabash River and Eel River meet at Logansport, many of the houses went up between 1875 and 1925. Out in Galveston, Royal Center, Walton, Anoka, Twelve Mile and Young America, you are more likely to find ranch-style homes and split-level homes on the flat farmland that makes up most of the county's 415 square miles.
Each of those homes puts a different staircase in front of the people who live there. This page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to fit which kind of Cass County house, and which local and state programs may help cover the cost.
The Point Historic District and Bankers Row Historic District in Logansport are both listed on the National Register. Most of the contributing homes there date to roughly 1890 to 1900, in Queen Anne, Italianate and Colonial Revival styles among others.
Houses from that era often have tall, narrow stairs, and some turn at a landing or wind around a corner. A straight stair lift handles a single run. When the stair bends, a curved lift with a rail built to the exact shape of the staircase is usually the answer.
A stair lift bolts to the stair treads, not the wall, so it does not change the structure of the house. For an older multi-story home, that makes it a practical way to keep someone living on the floors they already use without building an addition or moving.
Ranch-style homes usually keep daily living on one floor, but a basement stair to the laundry or a few steps at the entry can still be a problem. A short straight lift or an outdoor lift at the porch can cover those spots.
Split-level homes have several short flights rather than one long one. Each flight may need its own lift, or a curved rail that follows the turns, so we measure every run before recommending anything.
In walk-up apartments, the stairway is often shared. The building owner has to approve any installation, so talk with them before ordering equipment.
The county's median age at the 2020 census was 40.6.
Many families here stay in the same house for decades, including older multi-story homes. Planning a lift before a fall happens gives you time to compare options and line up funding.
The best first call is Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services at (574) 722-4451, located at 1801 Smith St., Suite 300, in Logansport. They handle screening for the CHOICE Program and Indiana's Medicaid waivers, which are the main public routes that can include home modifications.
Indiana's Medicaid waiver home modifications list stair lifts by name. CHOICE and USDA Section 504 do not name stair lifts, so coverage there is decided case by case. Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, and the Cass County Veterans Department at (574) 753-7700 can point you toward other VA options.
Ramp Up Indiana pays for ramps only, not stair lift equipment. The program details are listed below.
A Medicaid waiver service for Indiana residents who need nursing-facility level of care, split into the Health & Wellness Waiver for those 59 and under and PathWays for Aging for those 60 and older. The source lists stair lifts among covered home modifications; call (877) 284-9294 and confirm exact items with your care manager.
The managed-care Medicaid waiver for Indiana residents 60 and older, with a 2026 HCBS income limit of up to $2,982 per month per person and an asset limit of $2,000 single or $3,000 married. Home modifications are a covered category, but the source does not mention stair lifts by name; call (877) 284-9294.
A state-funded program for people 60 and older, or any age with a qualifying disability, who are at risk of losing independence, with a sliding-scale cost share and no income limit for most applicants. It covers environmental modification, but the source does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 986-3505 or apply through Area Five.
The local aging and disability resource center in Logansport that screens Cass County residents for CHOICE and Medicaid waiver home modifications. It is a referral and case-management agency, not a grant source itself; call (574) 722-4451.
Federal loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in USDA-eligible rural areas. The source does not mention stair lifts, so a request needs case-by-case approval; call (317) 290-3100.
A state grant of up to $25,000 per project to build ramps for homeowners at or below 80% of area median income, applied for by a nonprofit or local government on the homeowner's behalf. It does not cover stair lifts; the agency number is (317) 232-7777.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for home changes for veterans enrolled in VA health care. It specifically excludes stair glides, so ask the Cass County Veterans Department at (574) 753-7700 about other VA housing grants.
Older adults
1801 Smith St., Suite 300, Logansport, 46947
Veterans
200 Court Park, Room 101, Logansport, 46947
It can. The Medicaid HCBS waiver home modifications source lists stair lifts by name, for people who need nursing-facility level of care and pass a functional and financial screening. Start with Area Five at (574) 722-4451 or call (877) 284-9294.
Yes. The Health & Wellness Waiver serves Indiana residents 59 and under, and CHOICE accepts people of any age with a qualifying disability. Area Five can screen you for both.
No. The VA's HISA rules exclude stair glides. The Cass County Veterans Department at 200 Court Park, Room 101, in Logansport, (574) 753-7700, can tell you about VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Housing Adaptation grants instead.
It depends on the address. The program only covers USDA-designated rural areas, and incorporated Logansport may not qualify while surrounding township areas typically do. Check your address on the USDA eligibility map, and keep in mind the grant portion requires age 62 or older.
Usually, yes. A curved stair lift uses a rail shaped to your staircase, which suits the turning stairs common in Logansport's older homes. We measure the stair in person before quoting.
No. It funds ramp construction only. If a ramp at the entry is what you need, a participating nonprofit or local government has to apply on your behalf.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
